Patch panels are commonly used in data centers to connect servers and remote clients. Due to the complexity of these data connections, there can be many cable connectors originating from a single patch panel. A data center can include tens or even hundreds of patch panels.
Labeling ports of a panel requires obtaining the number of ports, accurate sizes of the ports and inter-port distances. A traditional way to generate labels for a patch panel is to use a measuring tape to take measurements, and input the measurements into a label printer. However, this process can be tedious and inefficient. A camera-equipped electronic device, such as a smartphone, may be used to take an image of the to-be-labeled ports and estimate the dimensions of the ports. However, it may be difficult to estimate port dimensions from an image when portions or entire ports are obstructed by cables, wires or other port connections.